Edward Kelley (August 1, 1555 - 1597), also known as Edward Talbot, was a convicted criminal and self-declared spirit medium who worked closely with John Dee in his magical investigations. Kelley claimed to possess the ability to summon spirits or angels using a crystal ball and also professed the secret of transmuting base metals into gold. His flamboyant biography and notoriety, primarily due to his association with Dee, have contributed to his folkloric image as the archetypal alchemist-charlatan.
A horoscope drawn up by Dee indicates that Kelley was born in Worcester on August 1, 1555. Kelley's early life is somewhat obscure, but it is generally believed he worked as an apothecary's apprentice. He may have studied at Oxford under the name of Talbot; whether or not he attended university, Kelley was educated and knew Latin and possibly some Greek. Several accounts also suggest that Kelley was pilloried in Lancaster for forgery or counterfeiting.
Kelley approached John Dee in 1582, initially under the name Edward Talbot. At this time, Dee had been attempting to contact angels with the help of a “scryer” or crystal-gazer without success. Kelley claimed to possess this ability and impressed Dee with his initial trial. Kelley became Dee's regular scryer, and they devoted significant time and energy to their “spiritual conferences” from 1582 to 1589.
About a year after joining Dee, Kelley appeared with an alchemical book, _The Book of Dunstan_, and a quantity of red powder which he claimed was revealed to him and John Blokley by a “spiritual creature” at Northwick Hill. Kelley believed that the powder, combined with the secret knowledge in the book, could transmute base metals into gold. He demonstrated this ability a few times over the years, including during his time in Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic).
In 1583, Dee met Prince Albert Lasky, a Polish nobleman interested in alchemy. Dee, Kelley, and their families accompanied Lasky to the Continent. Dee sought patronage from Emperor Rudolf II in Prague and King Stefan of Poland but failed to impress either monarch.
Dee and Kelley lived a nomadic life across Central Europe, continuing their spiritual conferences, though Kelley showed a growing interest in alchemy. In 1586, they found patronage from the wealthy Bohemian count Vilem Rozmberk and settled in Trebon to continue their research.
In 1587, Kelley revealed that the angels had instructed them to share everything, including their wives. This request was interpreted by some as a means for Kelley to shift focus from the spiritual conferences to alchemy, which, under Rozmberk's patronage, was starting to make Kelley wealthy. Dee, distressed by the angels' command, ended the spiritual conferences but complied with sharing his wife. He did not see Kelley again after 1588 and returned to England the following year.
By 1590, Kelley was living opulently, having received estates and large sums of money from Rozmberk. He convinced many influential figures of his ability to produce gold. Rudolf II made Kelley a “Baron of the Kingdom,” but eventually, he grew impatient. In May 1591, Rudolf had Kelley arrested and imprisoned in Krivoklat Castle outside Prague, hoping that imprisonment would induce him to produce gold.
Around 1594, Kelley agreed to cooperate and was released, but once again failed to produce gold and was imprisoned in Hnevin Castle in Most. Kelley died in 1597 at the age of forty-two. According to tradition, he died while attempting to escape; he used a rope that was too short, fell, broke his leg, and died from his injuries.
Kelley's “angels” communicated in a special “angelic” or Enochian language, which Dee and Kelley claimed was given to them by angels. Some modern cryptographers argue that Kelley invented the language. There is debate over whether Dee was a victim or an accomplice in this scheme. The Enochian language was supposedly transmitted by angels who tapped out letters on a complex table.
The English translations were said to appear on little strips of paper from the angels' mouths. Some argue that Kelley fabricated the language, citing similarities to English and suggesting it might have been a word-for-word substitution. However, there is also evidence suggesting that the language might have had another linguistic source.
Dee valued the angelic material for three main reasons: